Hello there! Just new on this forum. With a question for Matriarch owners. I am considering getting one.
My question is: Can you use the Matriarch to midi control a synth module (Prophet or so), and then bring the Prophet audio into the Matriarch to run it through its filters? Anyone tried something like that, or willing to try? Does not need to be a Prophet module of course, any midi synth (module) is ok. Just interested if it can do this trick… Any answers would be most welcome!!!
Greetings!
Yeah, you can totally do that. I’ve played my Waldorf M through the Matriarch’s filters and delay from the Matriarch’s keyboard before.
One thing to note is that the instrument input on the back is obviously mono and goes straight into the mixer with no volume control so you have to use the volume on the external module to adjust that.
If you want stereo going into the filters and/or delay there’s a pretty good chance you’ll have to boost the volume of the external synth module because the Matriarch expects Eurorack levels, which are higher than line level.
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Yeah, getting a module like the intellijel I/O would probably good for that, you’d end up bypassing the mixer and going directly into the filter with that.
I think you could patch external sources through the mixer, the manual says you can, but you’d probably need to drive the mixer for non-eurorack sources (move the knobs past 12 o clock on the matriarch). You wouldn’t get stereo as the mixer is not stereo, so the easiest way without spending more money is patching through the instrument-in on the back, which is also not stereo.
Hi guys,
Thanks a lot for the swift and great feedback! This is good news, as I am considering a combination of a Matriarch and a Prophet 10 module. Just maybe the Prophet 10 keys, but we’ll see, all expensive gear… I just have another question: Can you play the Matriarch, sending midi to external module (or keys synth), send that sound back into the Matriarch for the filters, but at the same time combine it with the Matriarch oscillators? That seems a little far fetched, but asking it anyway… So, does the noise knob in the mixer, double as an external in? You never know, anyone tried this?
Yes, absolutely.
It actually kind of has to be that way with external inputs on most synths because in order for you to hear anything the synth the audio is being routed into has to have its gate opened to let any sound through.
Usually the gate will be provided by key presses on its own keyboard, but the Matriarch also has the ‘drone’ VCA mode which holds the gate open indefinitely.
Plugging any cable into any of the 5 mixer inputs (noise, VCOs 1-4) silences the original source. So as long as you can boost to Eurorack levels, you can put five inputs into the Matriarch and run them through the filter.
As for using it as a MIDI controller, yes, it’s absolutely possible. I often use my Matriarch as a MIDI controller for my Mother-32 or Subharmonicon, running them back into the Matriarch for filters and delay.
Do note though that if you wanted to route external sources into the filters or delay in stereo you’d have to bypass the main mixer, which is mono. If you wanted stereo input combined with the Matriarch’s noise and oscillators it would involve extra patching.
this was my favorite thing to do with the Matriarch and Deluge 
really flexible and fun
Thanks again for the very useful feedback! The Matriarch of course interests me as the synth it is on it’s own! Wouldn’t be my first Moog (that was back in '84, a Prodigy…), had others too, but ended up selling for again other synths… The Matriarch I like most for its filters: that main LP Moog sound, but especially the flexibility of the additional HP, as I am a real fan of bandpass and notch…
One of the reasons I have some odd vintage 70’s synths… Now it is going to be the hard choice of what synths I will sell in order to get this new combination. Never easy, but I’m not in a position to buy without sacrifices. It will also be somewhat more compact in my room, which will suite me fine!
I’ll take my time, who knows I can still find the dark version, but the coloured is nice too. Let the Moog come back in my life!!! :))) Thanks a lot you people, it seems like a more flexible synth then I imagined (apart from the synthesis itself of which I have a pretty good idea, I mean, the way it can be connected…) At least I’m sure now the combination I was hoping for will work!
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A Matriarch and Prophet 10 will have you in analog heaven, that’s for sure!
That’s where we wanna be…! Though using the Matriarch with the Waldorf M seems also very interesting the least to say, I guess it makes for a spacy combo… Well, plenty of time to think it over, as I need to sell some gear first. And still gravitating to the Matriarch-Prophet combination, I’m a bit of a dinosaur… Thanks a lot for the useful information, really interesing stuff!